2014 Nascar Cup Series pre-season

[Yannick]

2014 looks like it's going to be gimmicks galore in almost every major auto racing series: F1's decision to award double points for the season finale was bad, but this "winner takes it all" style Chase of NASCAR Sprint Cup is even worse.

I wonder if the bookmakers might like it though.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

To win the championship, now you just have to win one of the first 26 races, avoid knckout in the three rounds, and beat the other three rivals in the final race. That doesn't sound like a proper champion for a 36-race championship.

I guess not.

New points system, Earnhardt Jr. would had won championship in 2013: In announcing major changes to the Chase for the Sprint Cup on Thursday, NASCAR chairman Brian France touted an emphasis on winning as a primary reason behind the format. But it turns out last year's champion, if the new rules were applied, would have been #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., who didn't win a race. According to economist Andrew Maness, who runs the nascarnomics.com site, Earnhardt would have made the final race along with Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon. NASCAR's Mike Forde confirmed the lineup. The driver who won the most races last season, Matt Kenseth with seven, would not have been eligible for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(USA Today)(1-31-2014)

.

[PabloTeK]

Originally Posted by TimRTC

At.least all the drivers seem to be onside. Better than F1 where they all spend the time complaining about new regs.

There's a reason for that...

[MJ_N_09]

HJJ's latest post (#54 ) would make a wonderful, wonderful conspiracy for why we have this new chase <_<

[TimRTC]

New points system, Earnhardt Jr. would had won championship in 2013

Although this assumes that the races would have played out the same. If a driver knows they need to win to progress, they would drive very differently than they would if they just needed to hold position to score a points victory.

[Paradise City]

I don't know what the hell is going on here. I'm not sure I want to know. I'm looking forward to the broadcasters trying to hold a straight face whilst explaining this stuff - still more trying to talk it all up.

Given the variety of tracks and challenges in Nationwide and Trucks maybe I should zone out Cup altogether.

[FIRE]

Every year changing formats, points system, amount of Chase entries, etc isn't good for the credibility of NASCAR. I really don't understand why they do that. Make a choice and stick with it for 10 years or so.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by gomick

And he only won 1 race? in the season... Seems they are messing around & probably should've just kept the original points system, the chase was only half interesting last year because Kenseth won early & Double J dnf'd... I don't like the new system either, unless Ambrose is 2014 champion

Yes, the original points system just needed some tweaking to give more emphasis on winning, but they instead reinvented the wheel and have made every attempt since to make worse every year.

And sorry pal, I don't see a points system favoring Taz getting the title. They'd have to race on 30 road courses for that to happen.

[fieldodreams79]

After having the opportunity for this to sink in some, this is pretty much the biggest farce of a championship ever created in sports history. Congrats to NASCAR for reaching the absolute pinnacle in the realm of madness to manipulate the outcome to the very bitter end.

This has nothing to do with "if this was in place last year, JR would have won," but everything to do with ensuring that the championship will not be decided until the very last lap of the very last race. Jimmie Johnson needing to finish 30th or better in the last race is just not enough for the pinheads in Daytona. This is a last desperate effort to keep Joe Sixpack planted on his couch every Sunday from late Feburary to early November.

I used to be sure I was in a place where i could either listen or watch these races on Sundays. Well, no more. I'll probably watch speedweeks, Darlington, Richmond, Bristol, ATL and the road courses. Other than that, have at it boys.

[Salamus]

What bothers me is that NASCAR has so much history and so many stories. Great drivers have come and gone and it was great seeing the greats being compared. But since the advent of the Chase, NASCAR basically through their entire history straight out the window. How are we supposed to compare JJ to the King and Earnhardt when JJ has won all his championships based on a 10-race shootout?

It seems that NASCAR's new playoff system is what they have been envisioning all along. Here's the thing though. In that final race, there are still 43 cars on the track. One mistake by a non-championship contender can easily end a contender's chances at the title.

This is NASCAR's way of keeping the championship interesting to the very last race. But in the process, they have made the first 35 races worthless.

In fact going back to the subject of greatness, there is no place for it in NASCAR anymore. Kenseth's 2003 season was great and impressive from a competitive standpoint. But NASCAR doesn't want that, they want everyone to be the same. Same cars, tires, engines, competition yellows, and the chase...all to bring the pack closer together artificially. I'll never forget Gordon's 2007 season...6Ws, 21 T5s, 30 T10s, 1 DNF and still finishes 2nd.

[S griffin]

Well said Salamus. I just don't know how the history books are going to like this. To me anyone who wins the championship this year, is probably not going to be equal to any other of the championships even with the chase of the last few years. The thing is fans enjoy the races more than the championships. When will they learn this?

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

After having the opportunity for this to sink in some, this is pretty much the biggest farce of a championship ever created in sports history. Congrats to NASCAR for reaching the absolute pinnacle in the realm of madness to manipulate the outcome to the very bitter end.

This has nothing to do with "if this was in place last year, JR would have won," but everything to do with ensuring that the championship will not be decided until the very last lap of the very last race. Jimmie Johnson needing to finish 30th or better in the last race is just not enough for the pinheads in Daytona. This is a last desperate effort to keep Joe Sixpack planted on his couch every Sunday from late Feburary to early November.

I used to be sure I was in a place where i could either listen or watch these races on Sundays. Well, no more. I'll probably watch speedweeks, Darlington, Richmond, Bristol, ATL and the road courses. Other than that, have at it boys.

I couldn't agree more. This means someone could win 35 races in a year and not win the championship. It brings one thing to mind...

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Schiavone! My watch cost more than your entire wardrobe! Woooooooooooo!

[Paradise City]

It's these mass/popular sports waking up to the information era like a kicked chicken. Whereas before you needed a good sense of the sport and the patience to watch a 3 hours epic and an understanding that if a driver won the championship prematurely it was all good and satisfying. With all the dizzying clutter of alternatives, people no longer have that patience, they want it now and they want it lurid. Now, when any mass/popular championship finishes early there would be a huge surge on twitter about how boring that given championship is, and the championship bosses don't want that flak because if you are not popular on the internet, you are yesterdays news. Even down to something as trivial as the flustered presenter or commentator getting into a panic over negative 'twitter' feedback or where ever the medium is. I don't care how thick a skin the sports bosses have, negative online feedback wears these guys down, makes them nervous and prone to flights of imagination and rash action.

It's being played out in F1 and there'll be an increasing trend of people who had appreciated the 'premier' sport, falling back on, for the Europeans, the WEC, and for the Americans, Nationwide, Trucks and the other divisions whilst leaving the masses to feed off the carcasses of formerly great sports.

It is interesting that NASCAR hasn't 'adjusted' the other divisions to the Chase circus. Maybe its time to think of the premier series as just a money making machine that feeds the 'real' divisions that lie lower down the popularity pecking order.

[morninggents]

Why can I not get out of my head the thought of 'Nero fiddling whilst Rome burns'? Others on here have adequately expressed my feelings of the moronic decisions by the Nascar board over the past few years of firstly devising the chase format and now making that flawed decision look like a stroke of genius compared to this latest version!
Where on earth now is the chance of rooting for some poor driver having evil luck in the first few races, fighting back to be breathing down the neck of the leading pack of drivers with a few races to go, and giving his all to take a championship few gave him any chance of winning a few months earlier?
It smacks of a pathetic attempt to create interest in a series that (surprisingly, to me) seems to be losing fans in large numbers. Perhaps the lessening interest is a result of these mindless decisions. The basic attraction of NASCAR style racing lies in the performance of the cars and a (fairly) level playing field for all drivers. The sight of the leading pack of 30 plus cars at the super ovals is one not to be forgotten.

[MJ_N_09]

If I may throw some facts in about drivers who won the championship during the chase:

First of all, Carl Edwards has been screwed by it twice. 2008, he would have barely beaten JJ for it. 2011, he dominated but under that new chase and points format, he lost by tiebreaker for Tony Stewart.

No issue in 2004 when Kurt Busch won it. He also would have gotten it under the old points format.

2005: Stewart won it outright, regardless of the chase.

2006: JJ outright, chase or not.

2007: Here's where it starts. Jeff Gordon dominated and would have won under the old format, but didn't do well in the chase. JJ dominated the chase once again.

2008: See what I said about Edwards.

2009: I think would have gone to Stewart if there was no chase. However, his last 10 races of that season were a complete disaster. Outright for JJ?

2010: Should have gone to Denny Hamlin, but faltered in the last 2 races and it was pretty much game over. Another one for Johnson again.

2011: Edwards again...

2012: Brad Keselowski wins the chase and the championship. without the chase. Johnson would win this.

2013: Outright for JJ, chase or not.

Without the chase, Jimmie Johnson would only have 3 championships...maybe 4. You can technically sandbag and squeak into the chase, then show your hand and surprise everyone. The Chase benefitted a few and screwed the others.

[joeb]

Tommy Kendall had a funny tweet during the second half of the superbowl last night. He said:

If this game was being played under the new chase rules, they'd zero the score and bring back the 49'ers and Patriots.

classic!

[FIRE]

I have not followed the NASCAR media (websites, TV) lately. What's is the opinion of the journalists? Or do they follow NASCAR as good sheeps and have no criticism?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I have not followed the NASCAR media (websites, TV) lately. What's is the opinion of the journalists? Or do they follow NASCAR as good sheeps and have no criticism?

I haven't seen anybody praise the new rules, but haven't exactly sought out every article either.

We know drivers and teams won't speak out to loudly unless they have some money they are looking to unload.

[Cynic]

It'll be interesting to see how much the drivers squawk once they start getting screwed by this system. Bad enough that a poor result at the wrong time could see you 'eliminated', but a system where a driver could win every race of the season, go to Homestead, have a wreck and see the guy in 4th place take the championship is just ludicrous.

[Salamus]

I know Carl Edwards has been critical of the new points system. He brought up a good hypothetical (but very likely) scenario:

A worthy contender could be eliminated before the final race. Edwards gave the example of a driver who could win 10 regular season races and win multiple races in the first segment of the Chase. But after a blown engine and a couple average runs, that driver might be eliminated before Homestead – then go dominate the race and win it.

A quick search showed taht Jeff Gordon and JJ like it.

[canamman]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I have not followed the NASCAR media (websites, TV) lately. What's is the opinion of the journalists? Or do they follow NASCAR as good sheeps and have no criticism?

I am a regular listener and occasional caller to the Nascar channel on sirrius/xm radio. I would say 90% of the different show hosts are excited for the change and 10% are skeptical and giving it a wait and see attitude before forming an opinion. Most of them think Nascar should leave it alone now for a minimum of 10 years. Maybe a couple very minor tweaks if need be but nothing else major.

The racing journalists and analysts are not going to bash Nascar. They have to work with them for interviews, news stories, etc. Its professional etiquette.

If I were the decision maker, we would be going to heat races and an A main for
every Cup event with your standard championship points system in place. Then have some sort of Chase the final 10 races. No matter what the rules , the cream will always come to the top.

[MJ_N_09]

It's great to see small teams like this take (hopefully) their programs to the next level.

Tommy Baldwin Racing Hires Parrott as Crew Chief; Sorenson to drive?: Tommy Baldwin Racing announces the hiring of Todd Parrott as the Crew Chief for the #36 Chevy for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season. Parrott, a well known name in the garage, has been with multiple teams within the industry for over 20 years, making his debut as a Crew Chief in 1995 with Robert Yates Racing. Following in his father Buddy's footstep, who was inducted into the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Parrott has achieved several accomplishments in NASCAR. Winning a Championship in 1999 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett, Todd has gone on to become the third most winning active Crew Chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage, with 31 wins, including two Daytona 500's and two Brickyard 400's.
"I'm glad to get back to the sport I love, and I've missed," said Parrott. "I'm looking forward to working with Tommy, Bono, Michael, and the driver of the #36. I'm hoping to try and build this team into something bigger and better. I'm humbled. I'm going to continue to do what I know how to do and just try to make racecars go fast. I'm tickled to be here."
Team owner Tommy Baldwin also commented, "We at TBR are excited to take another step and grow our company with Todd Parrott. He will be a great addition to the team. I think it's important for everyone in this sport to have a second chance. Todd has earned that right by handling everything as a professional, by going through the NASCAR mandated recovery process. He has two Daytona 500 wins, and a Championship, which has earned him his right in the industry, and we are proud to have him on board to help take the #36 to a new level."(TBR), hearing that Reed Sorenson will be the driver of the #36 in 2014. No word if former crew chief Joe Lax is still with TBR.(2-3-2014)

[fieldodreams79]

The new points system is a bunch of BS. Journalist being paid by nascar can't say that, though. I've watched nascar since the mid 80s, but I stop this year and will only watch RACES i want to see. This is NOT a series championsip this year and everyone knows it, even though some won't say it for fear of the NASCAR SS knocking on their doors; they still know it.

Originally Posted by joeb

I haven't seen anybody praise the new rules, but haven't exactly sought out every article either.

Come off it, Joe. We all know you wake every morning to a Larry Mac alarm clock so you can open NASCAR"s homepage to read DW's blog. You can't get enough!

[joeb]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

The new points system is a bunch of BS. Journalist being paid by nascar can't say that, though. I've watched nascar since the mid 80s, but I stop this year and will only watch RACES i want to see. This is NOT a series championsip this year and everyone knows it, even though some won't say it for fear of the NASCAR SS knocking on their doors; they still know it.


Come off it, Joe. We all know you wake every morning to a Larry Mac alarm clock so you can open NASCAR"s homepage to read DW's blog. You can't get enough!

Hey, what I do in my personal time is none of your business!

But seriously you make a good point, if you can win one of the first 20 races you don't really have to try in the rest of the races till the chase. I could see 5 or 6 guys win a race early and then just cruise through till the chase. Which, to me, takes something away from the racing if you don't have all the best drivers giving it their all every week. I'm sure drivers will say they won't do this, but come on, you know they will.